Oscar Nominee Quvenzhane Wallis Up for ANNIE Remake?

Academy Award-nominated star of BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD, Quvenzhane Wallis, is under consideration to take on the title role in the forthcoming major motion picture remake of the beloved Charles Strouse/Thomas Meehan/Martin Charnin stage musical classic ANNIE, according to Entertainment Weekly. She follows Willow Smith ("Whip My Hair"), who withdrew from the film last week, though director Will Gluck (EASY A) and Sony Pictures plan to move ahead on the project, along with producers Will Smith and Jay-Z.

The Tony Award-winning stage musical ANNIE has previously been filmed twice, the first time in 1982 with John Huston in the director's chair and later in a made-for-TV adaptation produced by Disney and helmed by CHICAGO director Rob Marshall in 1999.

Will Smith spoke at Temple University last weekend as a part of REAL TALK WITH SISTER SOULJAH AND Will Smith and stated: "Willow was supposed to be doing 'Annie,' we got Jay-Z to do the movie, got the studio to come in and Willow had such a difficult time on tour with 'Whip my Hair' and she said, 'You know Daddy, I don't think so' and I said, 'Baby, hold up! I said no, no, no, listen, you'll be in New York with all of your friends and Beyoncé will be there. You will be singing and dancing,' and she looked at me and said, 'Daddy, I have a better idea, how about I just be 12.'"

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Pat Cerasaro is BroadwayWorld's Chief Interviewer and Senior Editor, contributing exclusive scholarly columns including InDepth InterViews, Sound Off, Theatrical Throwback Thursdays, Flash Friday and Flash Special as well as additional special features, world premiere clips and extensive news coverage. His work for the site has appeared in The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, US Weekly, The Biography Channel, NBC and more. He also wrote and directed two sold-out 2014 BroadwayWorld charity concert events featuring all-star casts, EVERYTHING'S COMING UP BROADWAYWORLD.COM: A JULE STYNE TRIBUTE and THE LORD & THE MASTER: BROADWAYWORLD.COM SINGS THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER & STEPHEN SONDHEIM.